Indiana University (IU) School of Dentistry Dean John N. Williams Jr., DMD, was chosen to head the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) during the ADA's recent meeting in New Orleans.
Dr. Williams will preside over the 30-member commission for the final year of his four-year term on the board, according to the university.
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes the CODA as the only agency to accredit the country's 65 dental schools, as well as all dental and dental-related education programs offered in the U.S. at the postsecondary level. The commission develops standards that foster continuous improvement of education programs associated with dentistry.
More than 50,000 students are currently pursuing dental, advanced dental, and allied dental studies nationwide in 1,453 programs, including 682 students at IU's dental school. Federal education officials recently renewed the commission as an accrediting body through 2017.
Dr. Williams has worked with the commission for 15 years and has led many accreditation site visit teams that review dental schools. Most U.S. accredited dental programs must go through a reaccreditation process every seven years.
Dr. Williams served as dean of dentistry at the universities of North Carolina (2005-2010) and Louisville (1999-2005) before becoming dean at IU in 2010.
Dr. Williams was originally appointed to CODA as a representative of the American Dental Education Association, where he led the council of deans from 2008 to 2012.
.DpIowD0Qsf.png?crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=100&w=100&auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70)
.DpIowD0Qsf.png?crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&w=250&auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70)
